Passing Judgment
by Kylie Anderson
Summary: Post Judgment Day. The team is broken apart, but together they fight to stay as a team. As they uncover evidence against Vance, two people are kidnapped. Only one thing is for certain, nothing will ever be the same.
1. Chapter 1

Passing Judgment

Chapter 1

Standing in the office which once belonged to Jennifer Shepard, Director of NCIS, Ziva David could feel the room temperature dropping twenty degrees. It was so cold that Ziva thought her blood would freeze on the spot. How could this be happening?

In a very surreal motion, Leroy Jethro Gibbs left the office without another word to the man who had torn apart his team. Following their leader, Ziva, Anthony DiNozzo and Timothy McGee walked right behind him. They walked down the stairs, all the while not saying a word until Ziva stopped. "I'm not going back to Israel." Ziva said firmly.

Those words made Gibbs stop for a moment. He slowly turned to face her on the stairs. "You don't have a choice." Gibbs said tonelessly.

"He cannot split us up!" Ziva said with fire. "We are not giving up. We will fight this, yes?"

Shaking his head, Gibbs looked…defeated. In all the time that Tony had known Gibbs, he had never seen the gray-haired man look like he had lost a war. "There's nothing I can do." Gibbs said softly. "He's the Director of NCIS."

Tony snorted at that comment. He smiled widely, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "When has that ever stopped you?" Tony replied back swiftly.

Tilting his head, Gibbs looked at the three people standing before him. They were his team. DiNozzo with his quirky humor…David with her martial arts skills…McGee with his techno-thingy talk… They were his team. "You better start listening DiNozzo." Gibbs said sharply in a quiet tone. "I said there was nothing _I_ could do. It's going to take all of us to pull this off. And maybe Abby too…"

Smiles came on to all of their faces. McGee opened his mouth to say something, but Gibbs shook his head. "Not here," Gibbs said tightly, referring to the openness of the stairs.

He led them down to Abby's lab silently. They trusted him and followed without any questions asked. There, Abigail Sciuto was sitting on the floor in tears. When she saw Gibbs, she ran over to him and hugged him. "He can't do it!" Abby sobbed and then turned to Tony. "You can't go on to the USSSSS…whatever!" She turned to Ziva. "And you can't go back to Israel!" She looked at McGee. "And you…well…you'll still be here but…"

"I have no intention of going to Cyber Crimes Unit." McGee interrupted in a hard tone.

Abby raced over to McGee and hugged him tightly. "That's the spirit McGee!" Abby said brightly.

Gibbs scanned the room. Perhaps after Jenny's death he was getting more paranoid or perhaps he was just being overly cautious, but whatever the reason Gibbs felt a bit uneasy. He had to make sure no one would find out what he was about to do. "Something doesn't feel right." Gibbs announced.

At another time, Tony would have joked about the famous 'Gibbs Gut', but he remained quiet. He nodded his head in agreement. "What we need is time…" Tony said slowly.

Everyone turned to Abby. "What?" Abby asked confused. "What do you want me to do?"

Gibbs moved closer to Abby. He was looking her directly in the eye. "Tony is supposed to be on the USS Ronald Reagan tomorrow. But if his files are lost in the system…" Gibbs hinted.

Ziva smiled at Gibbs's cunningness. She suspected that he had been planning this the second they walked into Leon Vance's office. "That would just be too tragic." Ziva said sadly. "It could take a day or two to track those files down."

Abby nodded, understanding what they wanted her to do. She walked over to her computer and began to type away. "Abby, Vance is an excellent code breaker…" McGee warned.

"He'll be right behind us." Abby said in a horrified tone. "We won't have much time."

It was then that they realized how grave the situation truly was. If Vance found out what they were about to do, they would loose their jobs…permanently. They probably wouldn't even be able to find a job at the local burger joint. "Ziva, how long does it take you to pack?" Gibbs asked turning to her.

Shrugging, Ziva sighed. She began to pace around the room. "Well, I've grown quite fond of America and my stuff is all unpacked. It'll take me at least a week to pack all of it and then to get a plane to Israel…" Ziva said with a tiny smile.

"You need to contact your father and tell him you'll be a little late to Israel." Gibbs said calmly.

Nodding, Ziva knew it would be a difficult call. Ziva prayed her father would buy her little white lie… "Of course," Ziva said gently. "But what about you and McGee?"

In all honesty, Gibbs had already planned on how to buy time for Tony and Ziva, but had no idea what to do with McGee and himself. It was easy to stall with Tony and Ziva, but with McGee? Could both he and McGee get a "cold" at the exact same time? "It would look suspicious of all of us were MIA." Gibbs decided. "We'll need people inside too. McGee and I will stay here."

Thinking for a moment, Tony wanted to object. Something felt wrong in all of this. Yes, he suspected that Vance was doing something illegal, but it seemed wrong to leave Gibbs and McGee in the middle of the firing zone. But Tony also understood what Gibbs was saying. If they all left…Vance would know. "Boss, what exactly are we trying to do?" Tony asked in a serious tone.

"Tony, we getting this team back together…by any means necessary. Vance has always been a suspicious player." Gibbs replied. "Listen, I want you and Ziva to go my basement and set up a rendezvous point there."

McGee liked logic and nothing about what they were doing was logical. It seemed irrational and done out of…fear? But McGee said nothing… "Alright," Ziva said and she turned to leave.

Both Ziva and Tony were going to leave when Gibbs cleared his throat. "Remember, you are no longer going to be allowed back into NCIS headquarters." Gibbs said softly.

In the confusion and shock, Ziva hadn't even thought about that little fact. Never allowed back into NCIS headquarters… _Well, not Tony. _Ziva thought bitterly. _He'll be allowed to come back. He's still an American government employee. But I am no longer working for America. I am Mossad once again… _"We know." Ziva said with a sad smile. "We know."

And with that, Ziva and Tony turned towards the elevator. They stepped inside and watched the familiar settings of Abby's lab disappear along with the tear-stained face of Abby, the sad look on McGee's face and the solemn look on Gibbs's face. Everything they knew disappeared in a split second…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Gibbs's basement was dark, but it was a place that they knew. Somehow, it was comforting. While Ziva scanned the basement, Tony thumped down the stairs. "What were you doing?" Ziva asked curiously as Tony finally joined her.

"I was determining what materials we need." Tony said lightly. "We definitely need pizza if we going to be taking down a federal agency."

"Not a federal agency…just the director of a federal agency." Ziva corrected.

"Hmm…" Tony said absentmindedly as he looked at the boat. "I wonder what this place would look like if things had been different for Gibbs."

Stroking the smooth wood, Ziva had been wondering something along those same lines. "I suppose we will never know." Ziva said quietly. "But Jenny was dying…"

"Why didn't she tell him?" Tony asked with a sudden flash of anger. "I mean, didn't she realize that she might not have the time to tell him? If you love someone, you just gotta say it…"

In the director's defense, Ziva sighed loudly. "Tony, perhaps she intended to tell him. Maybe she ran out of time." Ziva said. "Why are you so mad Tony?"

Anger flew into his eyes, but then his eyes softened. Tears appeared to be welling up. "I'm…I…She died because of me." Tony said with a single tear rolling down his face.

Placing her hand on his arm, Ziva let the heat of her hands warm him. "Tony, this is not your fault. She knew what was going to happen." Ziva said gently. "And if we were there, we probably would have gotten killed as well…"

"I should have listened to you." Tony admitted at last.

Slightly relieved, Ziva finally knew what was really bothering Tony. He had brushed away her concerns and she ended up being right…and Jenny died as a consequence. "McGee thought you were right. And you were right. Jenny never used the distress word…" Ziva said. "I just thought something was off."

"And you were right," Tony said quietly. "She's dead."

Compassion was something Mossad frowned upon. It was something that Ziva never truly learned until she came to America. Now, Ziva found she needed that compassion to help Tony realize it was never his fault. "There is nothing we can do." Ziva said gently. "We cannot go back in time. We just have to let go."

Tiredness crept on to Tony's features. He looked many years older than he was. "Who are we kidding Ziva? What happens when we find that Vance isn't an evil, maniacal person? USS Ronald Reagan will have set sail, but I'm sure they'll be able to fly me out to it. You'll be sent to Mossad. And Vance will probably be pissed off…" Tony said in a defeated tone. "This is ridiculous."

"You never know until you try, yes?" Ziva questioned, hoping her proverb usage was correct.

When Tony remained silent, Ziva gave a smile of triumph. Not did she get the proverb correct, but Tony did not seem to be disputing it. _I knew I would get it right one of these days! _Ziva thought happily.

* * *

McGee looked at his desk for a moment. It didn't contain much, but it was _his_ desk. To clean it out and to move all of his things to another desk seemed like he was admitting conquer. Slowly, realizing he had no choice yet, McGee opened a cardboard box and began to place photos, pens and broken pencils into it.

After only five precious minutes, McGee placed the lid on the box and glanced around the room. Tony's and Ziva's desks were also empty. Were they just as upset to clean out their desks as he was? Did they pause and wait before leaving like he was? Shaking his head, McGee grabbed the box and began to walk out of the bullpen…the place he had called home.

* * *

Gibbs walked into his bullpen and noted that three desks were empty. All three of his agents had cleaned out their desks. He wanted time to be sentimental about the loss of his agents (although he knew that two of them were at his house, searching for a reason to keep the team together), but three people began to approach him. One he knew, two he did not. "Michelle Lee," Gibbs said instantly.

Michelle smiled because she had assumed Gibbs would have forgotten her. He nearly did. "Agent Gibbs, I've been reassigned to your team." Michelle said lightly.

Not responding to her comment, Gibbs glanced over at the two men whom he did not recognize. "Sir, my name is Special Agent Brent Langer." A tall, dark haired man announced as he firmly shook Gibbs's hand.

"Special Agent Daniel Keating," The other man said and also firmly shook Gibbs's hand.

Gibbs knew that he had to put them at a desk…even if he didn't intend for them to stay. "Michelle, beside me. Keating, take the desk in front of her and Langer take the desk beside Keating." Gibbs ordered.

He watched as Michelle took Ziva's desk, as Keating took Tony's and as Langer took McGee's. It seemed odd to see three people sit at those desks. They were so young and they certainly didn't look prepared. All three agents watched Gibbs intently. "Well? What are you looking at? Don't you have some transfer paperwork to fill out?" Gibbs barked.

Immediately, all three scrambled to search for something. Gibbs didn't have to like his new agents, but he was going to have fun with them anyway. The fun seemed to fade away as Gibbs noticed an angry Leon Vance quickly approaching…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What the hell are you doing?" Vance asked with a face full of fury.

Gibbs shrugged. "I'm sittin' at my desk." Gibbs replied calmly.

"DiNozzo's paperwork got 'lost'. You know anything about that?" Vance continued.

"Nope," Gibbs said.

The look on Vance's face said it all. He wanted to kill Gibbs right there and then, but there was no evidence saying Gibbs did anything. "I'm watching you and your team." Vance whispered. "If anyone, and I mean anyone, does anything out of line, they'll pay the consequence."

Standing up, Gibbs looked Vance directly in the eye. "Is that a threat?" Gibbs asked.

"A warning," Vance said with venom.

* * *

Buck-toothed and thick glasses were the best way to describe Herman Melville, McGee's new co-worker. He was the classic definition of geek. "Yeah, your desk is over there." Melville said shyly as if he hadn't made human contact in years.

McGee placed his box down at the new desk, several floors away from his pervious bullpen. This desk was enclosed in a small room with only a few other computers. "Not many people work here?" McGee noted.

"Bobby, John and Joey…and me and now you…" Melville said slowly. "That's like five…"

_At least he can count…_ McGee thought. "What exactly do we do?" McGee questioned.

"Protect the Naval Criminal Investigate Service's mainframe from attack and track down cyber criminals." Melville said shortly.

_Sounds like buckets of fun. _McGee thought sarcastically.

* * *

Gibbs returned home after his shift was over. No sooner and no later. Since working at NCIS decades ago, Gibbs could not remember actually leaving on time. He walked through his house and headed directly to the basement. There, he saw that McGee was already there with Tony and Ziva. They were hunched over a laptop. "Got anything?" Gibbs questioned.

Ziva shook her head. "No, Vance is squeaking clean." Ziva said softly. "At least, according to this he is."

"Squeaky," Tony corrected. "The phrase is 'squeaky clean'."

"Whatever," Ziva fired back.

Looking unimpressed, Gibbs crossed his arms. "Rule number three!" Gibbs reminded them.

Scratching his head, McGee looked confused. "Never go anywhere without a knife?" McGee guessed.

"That's rule number nine probie." Tony snorted.

It became quiet as they tried to remember what rule number three was. "Don't believe what you're told." Gibbs said sharply. "Double check!"

"Ohhh…" They all said slowly at the same time.

"We're on it boss." Tony said swiftly.

For a moment, Gibbs let himself smile. Technically, he was no longer their boss. Yet, they still referred to him as their boss. He knew the moment the three agents first met him that these three would be his loyalist. He knew he would be able to trust them and he also knew they were the best damn team NCIS had. Then, after a second, he straightened his face again. "And while you're at it, McGee, hack into the naval database and find everything on this guy. I want to know his whole history." Gibbs ordered.

"I'll need Abby." McGee stated.

Looking at his watch, Gibbs knew it wasn't very late. But his agents looked tired. The past couple of days had really taken a toll on them. "Go home," Gibbs said firmly. "We'll start fresh tomorrow."

"Gibbs…" Ziva began.

"Go home." Gibbs repeated, cutting across her.

Time was of the essence, but Gibbs knew that having three recharged agents was better than having three tired agents. He also knew that they needed time to think and process the events. Hell, if they didn't need to, he sure as heck did.

Seeing there was no sense in arguing, Tony, Ziva and McGee rose. They bid goodnight to Gibbs, left his basement and headed towards their homes.

* * *

When Ziva arrived home, she was not surprised to find a message from her father. He spoke in swift, firm Hebrew. He told her that it was important that she got back to Israel as soon as possible, but he also said that he understood it would take her a while to move. A week would be fine. Silently, Ziva thanked her father. He could be strict and this made him seem unsympathetic, but Ziva always suspected her father did have a soft side…even if she had yet to see it.

She placed her two guns and knife on the table beside her bed. She had little strength left and decided not to bother to take her clothes off. She got into bed and closed her eyes. As exhausted as she was, Ziva could not fall asleep. Thoughts reeled through her mind. _If you had only pushed Tony a little more, Jenny would still be alive. _Ziva thought briefly. _So why didn't you? _

_Because_… Her little voice in her mind replied. _You had a feeling, but Tony's logic made a little sense. You were not quite sure yourself. Neither you nor Tony is to blame. Jenny's death was on her own time, that is the way she wanted it. _

Slowly, the thoughts began to stop. Sleep took Ziva away…

* * *

While McGee tossed and turned in his sleep, odd images kept surfacing. The goofy smiling face of Herman Melville, his buck-teeth going in every-which way…then an image of Tony standing beside Herman Melville and wearing abnormally thick glasses…the image of Jenny smiling beside Tony, Ziva and Gibbs…

Waking in a cold sweat, McGee found that along with the sweat were tears. He wanted nothing more than to be with Tony, Ziva and Gibbs. He didn't care that Gibbs never understood what he was saying. He didn't care that Ziva kind of scared him. He didn't care that Tony constantly humiliated him. He just wanted to work with them again.

Wiping away a few of the tears, McGee closed his eyes. "Please let this all be okay," McGee whispered to himself.

* * *

Tony listened to Gibbs. He listened to Ziva, to McGee, to Ducky…and quite frankly, he didn't care what they said. Nothing they said or did made the guilt go away. In his mind, he knew he was not responsible for Jenny's death, but in his heart, the guilt was weighing heavier than a million trucks.

Lying on his bed, Tony didn't even bother to close his eyes. He knew sleep would not come. In a way, Tony was angry at the Director. She put him in a difficult situation…more than once. The first time was with Jeanne. Jenny sure made that an undercover mission he wouldn't forget. The second time was when he was forced to follow _her_ orders that lead to _her_ death. But in another way, Tony wasn't angry at Jenny…he was mad at himself. He should have known not to fall in love with Jeanne. He should have followed his gut, like Ziva urged, and found Jenny. He was confused.

Time passed and Tony wasn't even aware of it. Darkness surrounded him and sleep blissfully turned his thoughts off…

* * *

Gibbs, although he sent his team home to sleep, had no intention of sleeping. He picked up a few tools and began to work on his boat. He didn't think about Jenny at first…he didn't really think of anything. He just focused on moving his sander back and forth, back and forth…

But then his thoughts drifted. His relationship with Jenny was complex. It was true: he loved her. To deny it now was useless. But they couldn't ever have a relationship. It didn't matter because regardless of whether they were dating or not, they both cared about each other. They were partners who were willing to give their lives for one another…Jenny proved that.

He lost his chance a long time ago. Gibbs wondered what would have happened if he and Jenny took their relationship to the next level. Would she be wife number five, divorced? Or would she have been wife number five, happily until the end of time? Now, Gibbs would never know.

His thoughts floated to everyone he had lost. Shannon, Kelly, Kate…now Jenny. Dealing with grief was nothing new to Leroy Jethro Gibbs. This time, things would be different. Gibbs knew there was nothing he could do for Shannon, Kelly, Kate or Jenny. But he could do something for Ziva, Tony and McGee. He could get his team back.

He looked up at the ceiling, smiled and then said, "I hope you're getting a good laugh out of this one Jenny. I have no clue what I'm doing."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Gibbs thought he was an early riser. But at 0400, he heard a noise coming from his basement which he had left to get a few hours of sleep. When he came down the stairs to investigate, he saw Ziva looking down at a screwdriver she had dropped. "Loosing your touch?" Gibbs grumbled.

Looking up, Ziva gave a sad smile. "Perhaps I am," Ziva said softly.

A few seconds later, Tony came down the stairs with a backpack in his hand. "Am I late?" Tony asked looking from Ziva to Gibbs.

"I just got here." Ziva replied.

Gibbs looked at Tony and then at Ziva. "What is wrong with you? Don't you two like sleep?" Gibbs mumbled.

"Normally," Ziva said dryly.

Her comment did not go unnoticed. Gibbs gave her a gentle gaze before sighing. "Find out everything you can about Vance and how he got this position." Gibbs ordered. "And please leave my house intact…"

Gibbs walked up the stairs and past Tony. Presumably to either get a little more sleep or to get ready for the long work day. "Did you bring your laptop?" Ziva asked.

"Yep," Tony said as he walked to her, unzipped his bag and placed the laptop in front of her.

"Good," Ziva said shortly.

It became silent as Ziva turned it on. "You sleep well?" Tony asked in a serious tone.

Tilting her head, Ziva thought. "Actually, yes. I do not remember anything after I fell asleep." Ziva said quietly. "I think I was too tired to…to…to feel anything."

Placing his hand on her shoulder, Tony nodded. "Me too," Tony whispered. "But I had a hell of a time getting to sleep."

The hand on her shoulder was comforting. Tony's hand was warm and reassuring. "I did as well." Ziva admitted. "I just laid there thinking."

"I know." Tony said softly. "I know."

* * *

At 0800, McGee reported to his new boss. The man wasn't nearly as geeky looking as Herman Melville, but he was still a geek. "Today looks to be a slow day," His boss stated shortly.

"Hmm…" McGee replied as he sat down at his desk, before he stood up again. "You know what? I think you guys got it covered here, right? I've got to see someone…"

With that, McGee left as quickly as he had come in. He headed directly towards Abby's lab. It felt odd to walk out on a boss (it was certainly something McGee never would have done with Gibbs), but it felt good too. McGee was pretty certain that William or whatever his boss's name was, wasn't going to hunt him down. "Abby?" McGee called as he walked into the quite lab. "Abby?"

It was not Abby that approached McGee, but Ducky. "Ducky?" McGee asked curiously.

"Ah Timothy! I am glad you arrived." Ducky said heavily. "Abigail is in tears and I do not seem to be able to comfort her."

Alarmed, McGee wondered what would cause Abby to be so upset that Ducky, who could _always_ calm her, to fail at his attempts. "What happened?" McGee asked swiftly.

Ducky led McGee into the second part of the lab. Behind a desk, Abby sat on the floor. Tears were falling down her face silently. "McGee," Abby said weakly.

Just looking at Abby, McGee knew why she was so upset. She was wearing a knee-length black skirt and a white business blouse. Her hair was in a neat ponytail, she wore glasses and no tattoos were visible. "Oh Abby!" McGee said sitting beside her on the floor. "What happened?"

"V…V…Vance came down here and told me I was in…violation of the dress code. He said I dressed inappropriately and I had to go home and change. He also said that visible tattoos were against regulation." Abby said in a shaky voice.

Ducky looked sadly at McGee. "I fear this is the beginning of the end." Ducky announced grimly.

McGee shook his head. "I don't understand." McGee admitted. "I mean, Vance shouldn't be getting all upset over a dress code, but…"

Abby stood up suddenly. The tears stopped and her eyes turned in a flash of anger. "Don't you get it McGee? The way I dress is the way I am! By Vance forcing me to change what I wear, he's changing who I am! He's making us into little puppets!" Abby said furiously.

Standing up beside her, McGee hugged her lightly. "Abby, that's a little drastic." McGee said softly. "It doesn't matter if you're wearing this or what you normally wear. You could be wearing a trash bag. You're still an intelligent forensic scientist who will go to any lengths to find the truth."

"McGee! That's so sweet." Abby said with a little smile. "Thanks."

Ducky smiled as well, but it was more out of embarrassment. He felt as if he was intruding upon a very private moment. Neither McGee nor Abby seemed to mind though. "Ah, well, I best be off." Ducky said briskly. "If either of you need me, you know where I am."

With that, Ducky left. "Now, why don't we hack into the naval database?" Abby asked brightly.

McGee grinned.

* * *

Gibbs received a call. They were needed to investigate the death of a petty officer. "Gear up," Gibbs ordered as he gathered his things.

Something odd happened. All three agents looked up at him like lost little sheep…even Michaela, Monica, or whatever her name was. "That means get your stuff and get moving!" Gibbs said in a harsh tone.

Scurrying around like little rats, they gathered their things and followed Gibbs into the elevator. Brent Langer, Daniel Keating and Michelle Lee barely made it. Gibbs's day was not starting off the way he planned it to.

Arriving at the crime scene wasn't any better. Petty officer Norman Richards was lying in a pool of blood in his own home from an apparent gunshot wound. "Langer, photos; Keating, bag and tag; Lee, fingerprints," Gibbs said shortly.

They weren't green…well, at least they weren't totally green. Langer worked for another team for about a year. Keating had some law enforcement experience for two years and Michelle had worked with Gibbs before. But they weren't used to the way things Gibbs was used to running things. "What do you have Ducky?" Gibbs asked as he bent beside his dear friend.

"Well, I left NCIS ten minutes ago. Abby was upset and McGee managed to comfort her." Ducky said in a cold tone.

Gibbs was concerned. "Why was she upset?" Gibbs asked.

"Vance started enforcing the dress code." Ducky said shortly.

"Ah," Gibbs said. "It's not the worse Vance could have done."

"Abby thinks it is." Ducky said in a mild tone. "But now getting back to Mr. Norman Richards. He was shot in the front here, see?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes," Gibbs said.

Ducky continued speaking and the three agents continued examining the crime scene. To Gibbs, it was the oddest thing in the world. It seemed like nothing had changed. Sure, he had different people working for him, but he had slipped back into normal schedule again.

_No._ He reminded himself. _Tony and Ziva are in your basement trying to get evidence against Vance. There's nothing normal about that. _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You get anything?" Tony asked for the hundredth time.

Ziva turned to him. She stood up and slowly circled around him. She stopped. "If you ask me that one more time, I will kill you in the most painful way I know." Ziva said in a threatening tone.

Tony looked at her, pondering if she was kidding or not. "Alrighty," Tony said slowly. "So, I take it you didn't get anything."

"No," Ziva said shortly. "He was born in Washington D.C and served as a naval officer. He saw combat and then decided to join NCIS. He was a field agent for many years before climbing the ranks. He became Deputy Director of NCIS and is now Director of NCIS."

Trying not to show his frustration, Tony nodded. They already knew this stuff. Vance's file was thin, but it seemed to be complete. Until… "Tony," Ziva said suddenly. "Look at this,"

She was pointing at the computer screen. Tony's eyes quickly scanned the screen. "So?" Tony asked, not seeing the importance.

"He does not have form HJ-76549 nor did he form RMLK-1345." Ziva said factually.

Rubbing his eyes, Tony sighed. "So what Ziva? Government forms are crazy and there are a zillion of them. I probably haven't filed HJ-76…whatever." Tony said impatiently.

Ziva knew she found something big. She closed her word document window and opened a new one for internet. "You would not have to. You have never served as an NCIS agent overseas." Ziva said quickly. "However, Leon Vance spent a year in Russia as an NCIS agent. He should have filled those forms out. They should be in his file."

"How do you even know he served as an NCIS agent overseas? If he did, maybe he forgot to fill them out." Tony said, still unsure of what Ziva was getting at.

Again, pointing at the screen, Ziva had given Tony another piece of evidence. "There. It is a newspaper article discussing Leon Vance, an NCIS agent in Russia who managed to help discover and shut down a spy network gathering intelligence about the United States." Ziva said. "And he would not have 'forgotten' to fill out those forms! He would have had to have them to make it this high up. No, those documents were there, but now they have mysteriously vanished."

"They could have gotten misplaced." Tony argued.

Ziva shook her head. "No. Vance has something to do with their disappearance. Something happened in Russia that he does not wish for anyone to know about." Ziva said firmly.

Once again, Ziva was presenting Tony with an argument. He had stood firm on his ground last time and Jenny died. He wasn't about to ignore Ziva again. "Okay, something is definitely wrong." Tony said. "But what?"

* * *

Gibbs strode into Abby's lab. He handed her the fingerprints that Michelle had gathered at the Norman Richards crime scene. He noticed McGee. "Don't you have a job?" Gibbs questioned.

McGee looked at him in a strange manner. "Well yes, but I'm…" McGee trailed off at Gibbs's gaze. "I'm just leaving."

Quickly leaving the room, McGee headed back to the tiny place where he worked. "He was helping me with a project." Abby said shortly, knowing that Gibbs would understand completely.

"Can't neglect his other job to help with this project," Gibbs reminded her. "Vance wouldn't like that."

Abby shrugged. "I'll run these prints as soon as possible." Abby said.

"Thank you." Gibbs said and exited her lab.

* * *

"The USS Ronald Reagan left the harbor a few hours ago." Vance said as he walked with Gibbs to Gibbs's desk.

"Huh," Gibbs said, not really caring what Vance was going on about.

Vance made sure that Gibbs was forced to look him in the eye. "DiNozzo's paperwork is still lost. He wasn't aboard when it set sail." Vance said coldly.

"It sounds like you have a secretarial problem." Gibbs said with a shrug.

Vance gave him a little smile. "Yes, well, it will be sorted out. And make no mistake Gibbs, when it does get sorted out, nothing will stop your former agent from getting on a plane and flying directly aboard the USS Ronald Reagan." Vance said.

Again, Gibbs shrugged. "Okay," Gibbs said coolly before he turned to his computer.

Vance was furious as he stormed away.

* * *

"We should e-mail Abby with what we know." Ziva stated. "Maybe she can find the forms…"

Tony nodded in agreement. "It is very suspicious." Tony muttered.

Silence fell among the two. They merely sat, staring at one another. "Tony," Ziva began just as Tony said, "Ziva,"

They both smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Go ahead," Tony urged.

"The truth is, I'm afraid to go back to Israel. In the time I have been at NCIS, Mossad has changed." Ziva said softly. "I have changed."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, a couple of years with Gibbs can do that." Tony said. "But I was just going to say that I'm afraid of going on a ship. After the…"

He didn't need to finish his sentence. Ziva understood. She too would not like to work aboard a ship after their one case aboard a ship. "What now?" Ziva asked as she sent the e-mail to Abby.

"Now, we wait." Tony said shortly.

* * *

Abby looked over at McGee. "Seriously, don't you have a job?" Abby questioned.

McGee shrugged and then looked at the computer screen. "Hey, you have an e-mail from Tony's computer." McGee noted.

Opening it, Abby read it quickly. She and McGee exchanged looks. "Missing files, huh?" Abby asked. "I bet they're not even missing."

Catching on, McGee nodded enthusiastically. "Vance really does enjoy his codes. He probably encrypted the files so that under an ordinary search they would go unnoticed." McGee muttered as he began to type on the computer.

"What Vance wasn't counting on was someone being able to break the code…" Abby said in agreement.

They worked in silence for nearly ten minutes before… "Ah ha!" Abby announced. "There those lovely forms are!"

At the same time, Abby's computer dinged. She looked at it and then turned back to McGee. "What was that?" McGee questioned.

"Nothing. Just some fingerprints that Gibbs asked me to run from his crime scene." Abby said reading the forms.

McGee, on the other hand, kept staring at the fingerprint results. "Abby!" McGee said in a frantic voice. "Abby!"

"What?" Abby asked annoyed, not looking up from the supposedly 'missing' (aka heavily encrypted) forms.

"Abby, the murder victim's name was supposed to be Norman Richards. But his fingerprints come back as Locke Vanstob…a Russian spy!" McGee said.

Still not caring, Abby shrugged. "So, I'll tell Gibbs." Abby said.

"No, but look! There were some other fingerprints from the crime scene that come back as Leon Vance!" McGee said quickly.

The last name caused Abby to snap her head up. "McGee, in these forms, there is a note tagged by the Director of NCIS, Jenny Shepard. Three words: suspected Russian spy." Abby said slowly.

"So Vance worked as an NCIS agent aboard in Russia for a year, became a Russian spy and then killed a fellow Russian spy?" McGee asked, as if he just needed to say it aloud.

Abby nodded grimly. "And then he attempted to destroy all the evidence…" Abby said.

Still staring at the computer screen, Abby and McGee had no idea that anyone was standing behind them…until it was too late. "Well, actually, he did destroy all of the evidence. At least he will when he kills you." A deep voice said from behind them.

Turning, Abby and McGee found themselves looking at Leon Vance…holding a gun pointed directly at them.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

McGee's first reaction was to reach for his gun. But McGee found that it was not there. _Of course it's not. You're not a field agent anymore. You work in Cyber Crimes Unit…where they do not issue guns! _McGee remembered. "Don't do anything stupid Tim," Vance warned.

Abby's face was pale. She took care of Chip in a jiffy, but the Director of NCIS? She didn't stand a chance. "Umm…we can delete this and pretend it never happened." Abby said weakly.

Vance smiled and shook his head. "No, that's not how it's going to work." Vance said coolly. "Tim, please get that rope there and tie Abby up nice and tight…I will be checking so don't play any tricks."

Vance gave McGee very little options. In fact, McGee saw only one option he had…do as Vance told him. McGee picked up the rope and began to tie it around Abby's wrists. Hating that he had to do it, McGee reassessed his options. He could attempt to take the gun from Vance, but the gun could discharge and hit Abby. Or he could comply… "Good boy," Vance said, as if he was talking to a dog.

Quickly checking it, Vance saw that it was indeed tightly knotted. "Now, we're going to go out the side exit where no one will see us. But if you try to do anything Tim, I'll shoot Abby." Vance said.

That was enough for McGee. He would never do anything that could possibly harm Abby. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she died because of him. "Okay," McGee said quietly.

Making them walk in front of him, Vance directed McGee and Abby out a side exit that no one used…except for a few agents on cigarette breaks. Walking out the exit, they saw that it led to a parking lot with only one car. It was a white van. "A bit clichéd, don't you think?" McGee mumbled.

Vance either did not hear McGee or chose to ignore him. Vance opened the side of the van and pushed Abby and McGee in. For the person kidnapping them, McGee thought that Vance probably was once an excellent field agent. He was able to keep his gun trained on two people while performing other tasks. It was a talent that few agents had.

Inside the van, there was a wire wall preventing them from getting close to the driver. The doors were locked (and childproofed) and there was absolutely no way they could escape. "Tim?" Abby whispered as the van set into motion.

"Hmm?" McGee whispered back.

McGee was wondering if Abby was going to ask him to untie her. It seemed like a logical thing, but it didn't matter anyway. Even if Abby was untied, they were still unarmed. "We're going to be okay, right?" Abby asked quietly.

Her question surprised McGee. McGee knew that Abby got scared sometimes, but she was tough. "I'm not sure." McGee said honestly.

* * *

Ziva paced around the basement. "She would have e-mailed back by now. Whether she had the answer or not." Tony said.

"Yes," Ziva said shortly. "Get your cell phone and get in the car."

Surprised that Ziva was giving him orders, he froze. "What?" Tony asked in shock.

"We are going to NCIS and calling Gibbs along the way." Ziva said as she began to walk up the stairs.

Tony followed her. All Tony had to say was, "I'm driving."

* * *

Gibbs's cell phone rang. "Gibbs," He said.

"Something is not right Gibbs. We e-mailed Abby something and she has not e-mailed back. We are on our way to NCIS." Ziva announced.

Looking around him, Gibbs found that he was alone in the bullpen. "I'll check on Abby." Gibbs said as he headed down towards her lab.

When he reached it, he found that it was empty. Nothing suspicious about that. Abby was allowed to take a bathroom break every now and then. But what was suspicious was the fact that her computer was showing fingerprint results and that another computer screen was showing files. Gibbs knew that Abby would never leave evidence sitting around, unless she was forced to. "Ziva, get here now!" Gibbs snapped before ending the call.

Snooping around a bit, Gibbs saw the fingerprint results. He saw everything Abby and McGee did. He sorted through everything and slowly came to the same conclusion that Abby and McGee did. Vance was a Russian spy. "Vance must have snuck up on them." Tony said quietly from behind him.

Gibbs turned around. "What?" Gibbs asked looking at Ziva and Tony.

"McGee was not at his desk. His co-workers say that he has been gone nearly all day. He was helping Abby." Ziva said quickly.

"The Director is MIA also." Tony reported.

Fear seeped into Gibbs's blood. Vance would show no mercy to McGee and Abby. He was going to kill them. "We have to find them." Gibbs said urgently.

He raced towards the elevator with Ziva and Tony right behind him. He found Michelle Lee sitting at her desk. "I want all of the Director's cars and I want a BOLO on all of them!" Gibbs barked. "And check under all of the Director's aliases, undercover names."

Lee, shocked at being asked to invade the Director's privacy, was hesitant. "Do it!" Tony said harshly.

That sent Lee into action. She typed away quickly. Ziva, whom Gibbs and Tony were not aware left, came beside them. "I talked to the Director's secretary. He left twenty minutes ago." Ziva said breathlessly.

Gibbs looked Ziva and Tony over. While they were no longer NCIS agents in Washington D.C, he saw that they both carried guns. "Let's go." Gibbs said and then he looked at Lee. "Once you find those cars, you get back-up to us immediately, understood?"

Lee, confused and frightened by the urgency of things, simply stared at Gibbs. "Understood?" Gibbs asked in a mean voice.

"Y…Yes." Lee choked.

In a flash, Ziva, Tony and Gibbs ran out of the bullpen. They didn't take the elevator…it would take too long. They raced down the stairs and into a car. Where they were going, Ziva had no idea…and she suspected that Gibbs didn't even know.

But what they were doing…that was for certain. They were bringing back Abby and McGee…alive.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tony's cell phone rang as Gibbs started up the car. For a moment, Tony wondered how Lee had gotten his cell phone number, but quickly dismissed the thought as he answered it. "Yeah?" Tony asked breathlessly.

"Um, there was a GPS on…" Lee began nervously.

"Where?" Tony asked, interrupting her in a Gibbs-like manner.

Lee swiftly told him the location of Vance's white van that he had rented under an alias. Tony told Gibbs and they were on their way.

* * *

"Get out of the van." Vance ordered as he opened the sliding door.

They had stopped in the middle of a wooded area. It was quiet and no cars had passed them for a very long time…it was secluded. Knowing that this would probably be where Vance killed them, McGee couldn't help but think it was beautiful. The sun was shining through the tree tops, giving it a magical appearance. "Me?" McGee questioned.

The barrel of the gun was trained on him. "Yes," Vance said coldly. "She stays in the van."

Looking at Abby, McGee was pretty sure that this would be the last time he saw her. He gave her a tiny smile and then walked out of the van. Vance closed the door behind him, trapping Abby inside. "Walk," Vance muttered, the cold metal of the gun directly on McGee's head.

McGee walked further into the woods, but not far. Vance told him to stop. "Get on your knees." Vance growled.

Doing as he said, McGee dropped to his knees. _He's going to kill me execution-style._ McGee realized grimly. "They're going to know it was you." McGee said suddenly. "You left a lot of evidence behind."

"No," Vance's voice said behind McGee. "What happened was you two left work early, probably to go on a date or whatnot, and, since a lot of people dislike you, both you and Abby were tragically murdered by…a gang, maybe? Ah well, no one will ever suspect me."

Every fiber in McGee's body was screaming one word: _Now!_ And he obeyed. McGee swung around with a knife in his hand. He had taken it from his pocket during the ride into the middle of nowhere. He struggled with Vance, trying to point the gun away from him. He cut Vance's arm, causing him to drop the gun. "McGee! McGee!" A female voice (probably Abby's, but McGee wasn't sure) shouted with horror.

"McGee!" A familiar male voice called. Tony.

Looking up for a brief moment, McGee saw that Tony, Ziva and Gibbs all had their weapons trained on Vance. Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that McGee stood over Vance, holding the weapon that was pointed at him only minutes ago. "Damn it!" Vance swore, cuddling his bleeding wrist. "You'll pay for this!"

Wearing an amused face, Gibbs shook his head. "Nope. You'll be paying for this one." Gibbs said. "And you want to know where you went wrong? You broke apart our team. That was the biggest mistake."

Tony already had his cell phone out and was calling paramedics. Lee had already called for back-up like Gibbs had ordered her to do and sirens were heard in the distance. McGee didn't notice that Ziva had disappeared for a moment, but he certainly noticed her when she reappeared with Abby, who had frantically been calling his name moments before. "And you forgot about rule number nine!" Abby added, hearing Gibbs's comment.

Vance looked at her in a confused manner. "Never go anywhere without a knife," McGee, Ziva, Tony and Abby said simultaneously.

"You trained them well." Vance muttered as Gibbs began to handcuff him.

Even coming from a Russian spy, Gibbs felt his heart burst with pride. Of course he trained them well. They were _his_ team.

* * *

Arriving back at NCIS, Gibbs found it to be in disarray. "Sir! Sir! Is it true that the Director has been arrested?" A young agent questioned.

Gibbs grunted and pushed past the mob of agents wanting answers. Tony, Ziva, McGee and Abby watched as Gibbs walked up to MTAC. "What do you think he's doing?" Abby asked curiously.

"Probably talking to the Sec. Nav." Tony replied.

McGee sighed. "How is he going to explain _this_ to him?" McGee wondered. "And who's going to take over NCIS?"

"Gibbs will tell the Secretary of the Navy the truth." Ziva said. "As for who will be the Director of NCIS, I do not know. They did not choose a Deputy Director at the time of Vance's appointment. So, they will need to fill the office of Director and Deputy Director."

Tony nodded and suddenly realized how tired he was. He yawned. "Yep, it could be anyone." Tony agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"What the hell happened?" The Secretary of the Navy asked in a booming voice.

Gibbs looked at the screen before him. The Sec. Nav. looked exhausted and…in a very bad mood. "Well sir, you hired a man whose loyalties lie with the Russians." Gibbs stated factually. "Leon Vance, the former Director of NCIS, killed a fellow Russian spy and then attempted to kill two NCIS employees, whom had discovered his true identity as a spy."

Sec. Nav. looked at Gibbs with dark eyes. "He's not the former Director yet." Sec. Nav. said shortly. "There will have to be a _formal_ investigation, a _formal_ hearing and a _formal_ firing. Understood?"

"And I thought the Navy took care of national threats _casually_," Gibbs said, raising his voice a bit.

"Gibbs, you know that there is no Deputy Director at the moment. We haven't had time to fill the position." Sec. Nav. said calmly. "We'll need a temporary acting Director of NCIS until we get people to fill those two positions…assuming that Vance is guilty. Remember, innocent until proven guilty."

Gibbs nodded. He knew that there would have to be a temporary acting Director of NCIS. For once, he and the Sec. Nav. agreed on something. "Correct," Gibbs said. "You have someone in mind?"

The Sec. Nav. gave a quick nod. "Oh yes, I have someone in mind." Sec. Nav. said softly. "Jenny trusted this person beyond measure…and so must I."

* * *

Gibbs walked down the stairs. He saw that Ziva, Tony and McGee were all standing together by Ziva's former desk. Abby still stood with them. He smiled for a moment…it was like nothing had changed. Ducky now joined their group. He appeared confused. "Jethro, my dear friend, you must tell us what is going on! Abigail and Timothy were kidnapped by the Director?" Ducky asked with concern.

"Yep," Gibbs said coolly.

Ducky looked absolutely stunned. "But…but…" Ducky stuttered. "How did you escape?"

Sensing this was the perfect time to tease McGee, Tony closed in. "Yes probie. Do tell how you managed to stop a guy with a gun when all you had was a knife." Tony said in a poisonous tone. "Did Abby help you?"

"No," McGee said quietly. "Abby and I survived because of Gibbs's rules. As a member of the Cyber Crimes Unit and not a regular field agent, I wasn't allowed to carry a firearm. But I was carrying my knife."

Ducky looked horrified. "Oh thank goodness you are all right!" Ducky stated. "Have you been checked by a medial professional?"

Smiling, Abby hugged Ducky. "We're fine." Abby assured him.

Ziva, despite the conversation, looked grim. "What happens now?" Ziva asked in a low tone.

"There's a new temporary acting Director of NCIS." Gibbs said with a shrug.

"Who?" Tony asked.

Gibbs kept his face straight. "Me," He replied.

* * *

After an hour, Gibbs was able to transfer McGee back to his team. Keating, in return, crawled back to his little team. Langer also disappeared when Gibbs called up the USS Ronald Reagan and told them that Tony would not be joining them. But Lee appeared to be staying. There was no way to undo the damage that Vance had done. Mossad wanted Ziva back.

"McGee, Tony," Gibbs said in the bullpen as he looked at Tony, McGee and Ziva. Ducky and Abby had already returned to the morgue and to the lab. "Welcome back to the team."

Gibbs avoided eye contact with Ziva. She, as an observant spy, did not miss this. While Tony and McGee were laughing out of relief, she remained silent. "Gibbs," Ziva said in a soft voice. "You were not able to convince Mossad."

At once, Tony and McGee became quiet. They were staring at him. "No, I wasn't." Gibbs said honestly. "You are expected to report to Tel Aviv on Sunday at 0700."

Ziva was used to keeping her emotions in check. She stood there, like a rock, without displaying any emotion at all. She wanted to cry, to scream, to yell, to do something, but she did nothing. "Ziva?" Tony whispered.

"These orders came directly from Director David of Mossad?" Ziva asked, as if she wanted to clarify matters.

Gibbs nodded. "Then I shall return." Ziva said calmly. "This was only a temporary position."

"Ziva, no." McGee said quietly. "Please…you can't just leave."

"We can delay you." Tony said in a hopeful tone. "You can say you got lost in D.C and missed your flight."

Even Gibbs was looking at Ziva in a way that said: don't go. But orders were orders. And family was family. "I can do nothing." Ziva said shortly.

She turned on her heel and left abruptly.

* * *

The next morning, Gibbs returned to his desk in the bullpen. He was indeed still acting Director of NCIS, but he refused to take the office. It was Jenny's office. "Morning boss," Tony greeted as he sat down at his old desk.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs said stiffly.

At that, Tony knew Gibbs probably wasn't in a good mood. "Hello," McGee said as he strolled in minutes after Tony.

He too sat at his old desk. The bullpen was changing in to its old self. Except for Ziva. She was gone. Her desk was empty. It appeared as if Michelle was going to take her place after all. Until…

Until a familiar face stood in the middle of the bullpen. Her face looked as if she had been crying. "I quit Mossad." Ziva announced.

Jumping up, Tony couldn't have been more surprised. "You did _what_?" Tony asked.

McGee and Gibbs were standing too. They watched her intently. "I called my father and spoke with him. We had a heated argument and I quit." Ziva said simply. "Of course, he called me a traitor to my country and said that if I needed help, I would not find it in Israel…but, I quit."

Gibbs smiled. "Well, I can only see one thing happening to you Ziva." Gibbs said as he extended his hand. "Welcome on board Special Agent David,"

Ziva shook his hand with pure happiness. She was no longer the Mossad liaison that worked with NCIS. She was NCIS. And now, she was truly a part of the team. She was a part of the team that Vance feared. He feared them because he knew they would figure him out…and even when he took them away from one another, they still found the truth and justice was prevailing.

"You know," Ziva said to Gibbs, Tony and McGee. "I think Jenny would be very proud of us."

"Yes, she would be." Gibbs said in a sad, shaky voice. "She would be."

**The End**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. **

**A/N-** I can't wait to see what happens tonight, but this was my take on what could happen after Judgment Day. I only just saw Judgment Day a short while ago which is why this story is so rushed and isn't very well written. Sorry! However, I still hope you enjoyed it. As always, if you like this story, feel free to check out my other stories.

_Kylie Anderson_


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